Combined Bachelor of University Studies and MOT: For those students who do not yet have a Bachleor's degree
This BUS program allows a student to complete university requirements and OT prerequisites in the first three undergraduate years, begin the pre-professional OT program in the senior year, and complete the MOT Program over the next two years. This will reduce the time in graduate school by one year.
The BUS is an interdisciplinary degree designed for students whose career and educational goals are not met by traditional degrees offered at Idaho State University. During the first three years, the student develops a course of study that meets the students' interests and university degree requirements, and also fulfills the prerequisites requirements for admission into the MOT Program. The student can apply to the BUS Program during the sophomore or junior year and complete the pre-professional year for occupational therapy during the senior year. With successful completion of the pre-professional year in the OT Program, the student will receive a Bachelor of University Studies degree. The student will then apply to the MOT Program (see entry requirements) and complete it over the next two years.
Interested students may contact the Department of Physical and Occupational Therapy at 1-800-797-4781 or email at dpot@isu.edu.
Application Process
In order to apply for admission to the Bachelor of University Studies degree, a student needs to satisfy the following criteria:
- A 2.5 cumulative grade point average, including transfer credits (Note: Entry into the Master's of Occupational Therapy Program requires a 3.0 cumulative grade point in upper division coursework and 3.0 average in all prerequisite courses.)
- Completion of at least 24 semester hours
Application to the BUS Program includes:
- Initial meeting with the Director of the Bachelor of University Studies and Director of the OT Program
- A proposed selection of courses covering university core requirements and OT prerequisite courses
Application deadlines:
- First week of November for Spring admission
- First week of August for Fall admission
Admission to the BUS program:
- The BUS Committee Chair, in consultation with the MOT Program Representatin and Chair of Pre-health Advising will review previous academic performance for approval.
Graduation Requirements:
- Completion of at least 24 semester hours post-acceptance into the BUS Program
- Completion of General Education Requirements
- Completion of at least 36 upper division credits, 16 of which must be completed post-acceptance
- Completion of the BUS proposed plan of study
- Completion of the BUS Senior Essay. This essay may meet the requirements of the MOT Program admissions essay.
- A 2.5 cumulative GPA at the time of graduation (Note: Entry into the Master's of Occupational Therapy Program requires a 3.0 cumulative grade point in upper division coursework average and 3.0 average in all prerequisite courses.)
- Satisfaction of university residence and credit requirements for undergraduate degrees (Refer to the ISU Catalog)
Students interested in the BUS to MOT degree should contact , Clinical Assistant Professor, Garrison Building, Room 309, ISU Box 8045, Pocatello, Idaho, 83209, (208) 282-4097 or dpot@isu.edu.
Prerequisite Course Work:
Completion of the following prerequisites with a GPA of 3.0 in each category.
| Prerequisites for the Masters of Occupational Therapy | ||||||
| Category > | Course | Credit | ISU Courses | |||
| Social Behavioral Sciences |
Human Development over the Life Span |
3 | PSYCH 225 | |||
| Sociology | 3 | SOC 101 SOC 301 SOC 321 | ||||
| Abnormal Psychology | 3 | PSYCH 301 PSYCH 302 | ||||
| Cultural Anthropology | 3 | ANTH 250 ANTH 237 ANTH 238 |
||||
| Biology | Human Anatomy/Lab | 4 | BIOL g 301 | |||
| Human Physiology/Lab | 4 | BIOL g 302 | ||||
| Chemistry | Essentials or General Chemistry I/Lab | 4 | CHEM 101/111 | |||
| Physics ishighly recommended, but not required. | General Physics w/ Lab is highly recommended, but not required. | 4 | PHYS 101/111 | |||
| Math | Statistics | 3 | MATH 253 | |||
| English/ Communications | Composition | 3 | ENGL 101 | |||
| Technical Writing (Recommended) |
3 | ENGL 307 | ||||
| Speech Communications | 3 | COMM 101 | ||||
| Liberal Arts | Ethics Philosophy Education Literature |
Humanities Economics Foreign Language History |
Any five 3 credit course for a total of 15 credits | |||
| Pre Professional Program | BIOL 574/474g Human Anatomy | 5 | ||||
| BIOL 586/486g Human Systemic Physiology | 5 | |||||
| PTOT g412 Professional Communications | 3 | |||||
| PTOT g413 Occupational Therapy Profession | 3 | |||||
| PTOT g401 Clinical Kinesiology and Biomechanics | 4 | |||||
| PTOT g402 Clinical Neuroscience | 5 | |||||
| PTOT g422Occupational Performance | 3 | |||||
| PTOT g442 Occupational Performance Lab | 1 | |||||
| PTOT g421Self-exploration in Occupation | 3 | |||||
The applicant must be competent in working with computers; (word processing, database, and spreadsheet management) prior to entry into the program.